APʘLISMʘNʘ
by Gravity Fair
Summary: NEW Very different from the Disney movie, this story is based on darker themes. A woman has holes in her past & something strange in her future. What happens when she has no choice but to remember a face that was thought to be long gone from her life?
1. The First

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Beauty and the Beast" (I think it belongs to some dude named Walt Disney). :3 Nor do I think I'll ever own _anything_ that has success. Ha! That sucks. Justice is mine, however.

**A/n:** This is my second fan fiction story, even though I have yet to finish my first one. Plus, this is in first person and I'm not used to that. Just trying something new. :P But, the bottom line is: I fell in love with the story of Beauty and the Beast, so now I shall show you _my_ version of it and you'll find that it is quite different from your usual fairytale. My Beauty and the Beast is… _darker_, so to speak. Enjoy~

**APʘLISMʘNʘ**

**Chapter ʘNE**

My eyes reflected the ghostly light from my computer screen, as my nimble fingers tapped carefully at the keys. My mind had long been wandering somewhere else, but my blue hues and slender digits had switched over to auto-pilot, thus I continued with the fated façade. It wasn't always like this. I was truly happy at one point in my life. Back when I was still seventeen. Back when I had enough courage to stomp out the world. And back when I still loved the snow and swimming. But now… Something triggered my reaction to the world on my twenty-first birthday. I can't remember. That was two years prior to this night in front of the glowing computer screen. _Exactly_ two years. The inevitable day had come and gone again. I felt nothing. Every friend I had ever known was either dead or moved away. My parents: dead. Siblings: none.

_**saxman66: **__do you like it?_

My pupils narrowed, as they flashed to the screen again. They flickered over the sentence two more times, before my hands automatically typed a "yes". I'm not sure what my brain was thinking at the time. I'm not really sure that it was thinking at all. My heart was dead and my life was a sinking tar pit, destined for nothing but the drudging days of insipidness and maybe a little shame. Though, that thought (or lack-there-of the thought) didn't keep me from doing this every night. Not only was it unavoidably regular now, but this half an hour after work every night had become as much a part of me as Hydrogen was to Oxygen. It was no longer a shock or embarrassing, but it was no longer as satisfying as it used to be. Now it was just… _routine._

Many people have a certain thing that they are accustomed to doing; something that they can't live without, that keeps them sane and whole; a _hobby,_ so to speak… Well, this thing of mine was definitely not a hobby, since I got no pleasure out of the experience at all anymore. I'm not sure if I ever did. I _thought_ I did. I don't even remember when it began… One day, it just happened. I'm just thankful that I was smart enough not to have my webcam on.

"Sax man sixty-six," I said aloud to myself.

He had a horribly cliché screen name; adding numbers at the end… I never understood why people did that. It was so completely… derivative. Not that it really bothered me that much. It was just a passing thought. Like, why couldn't they have thought of something better; something more unique? Whatever happened to originality? I guess, along with chivalry, it was dead. That made me a bit depressed. There were less and less things to look forward to everyday…

I plopped my chin in my hand and leaned on my elbow, watching carefully at his rhythmic pumping. I didn't know his real name, nor did I care to find out. There was no relationship there. No bond. No feelings. No responsibilities. Just a lust for oneself and self-satisfaction. He wasn't even a name to me. He was a pornographic scene that could be turned on or off at the click of a button. After watching this man masturbate nearly every night for over a year, things began to get dull… and familiar. Nothing ever changed. He did the same thing each night. He never made a sound. He was a picture on a screen. He didn't want to talk. He didn't care who watched him. He was just a pitiful being who scarcely ever stopped being horny… And I was the fuel to his fire.

_**saxman66:**__ are you gonna turn the cam off?_

His message brought me back to the present and I looked up at the screen. All movement had ceased in his room. He was finished and was waiting for me to disconnect from his webcam. I don't know why, but his lack of sensitivity made me feel worthless. Before he had the chance to say anything else, I signed out of my instant messenger without another word.

Once my computer was fully shut down, and the crackling of the static across the screen had stopped, I walked the three steps to my bed and crawled onto it, kicking my slippers off in the process. My room was dark now. The only light came from the aquarium on the other side of the room. It was empty. Not even one little goldfish inhabited that tank. There was water in it, though, along with a bubbler, pebbles, a miniature stone castle, and synthetic plants, but nothing else. Nothing moved, except for the ripples on the surface of the water and the gentle swaying of the castle's plastic flags… I'd always planned to put something _live_ in there. I just never got around to doing it. I could have walked the five blocks down to the pet store anytime I wanted, but… the aquarium felt forbidden to me. Only one thing belonged in there and I had yet to find it. If I ever dared put the wrong thing in there... It was like dancing on a grave.

Besides the constant burble of the tank, the only other noise in my bedroom was the faint _tick tick_ of the clock on my wall. I'd had that clock for nearly three years. It was a gift to my own self, in a way. Mostly because it was cheap and I needed something to cover up the brown stain that defaced the bare, white walls of the room where I spent most of my time. This clock was different from others, however. It had pictures of different birds all the way around the rim and every hour (_on_ the hour) it emitted the call of the bird whose turn it was to sing. This fact was unknown to me at the time that I purchased it. I didn't get much sleep that first night…

But, the clock didn't sing anymore. It hadn't for a long time. For two years it had been completely silent, except for the _tick tick_ of its hands. I still remembered some of the songs, though. For example, at twelve o'clock the owl would hoot and at seven o'clock the robin would chirrup. But those were the only two that really stuck in my mind like thistle sticks to your clothes. They were the sounds that I fell asleep by and jolted awake to. Sometimes good, but mostly bad. I don't remember…

My room was simple, just as simple as my life. I had one single daybed against the wall with the window, on the opposite wall was the defective clock, below it was the small table that held my computer and fish tank, transverse from there was my closet, and on the remaining wall was my bedroom door. It sat diagonal from the end of my bed. I could see into the kitchen from where I lay. All the same, I couldn't see anything in there. Though, if I could, it wasn't much to look at; just a small sink and a stove that always ended up smoking, no matter what I was cooking.

I sighed as lightly as I could and shrugged out of my sweatshirt and jeans. Following this, I slipped slowly under my comforter and pulled the edge of it all the way up to my chin. Then I turned over on my side. That's the only way I could ever sleep and usually facing the door. I was twenty-three, but I still feared my own apartment sometimes. That's why I couldn't turn my back to it. I closed my eyes and let the burbling aquarium lull me to unconsciousness, my last thought of _saxman66_ and if he actually played the saxophone. Then, after a dreamless sleep, I would awake the next morning and start the process of my life all over again…

x-x-x

I was half dreaming… But since I was half dreaming, that meant I was only half asleep. And that _also_ meant that I was half awake. Either way, it startled me to complete awareness within less than a second, the train whistle. Yes, I heard a train, which is strange, since I live in an apartment downtown and the closest train is three miles away. I also live on the fourth floor and the whistle sounded like I'd been sleeping next to its railroad tracks. It was so loud that my ears were now ringing. I couldn't see anything for a while, either. Along with the ridiculous noise, I'd been blinded by a bright light that seemed to have come from nowhere. It was like I was honestly about to be struck by a train in my own apartment building… But as soon as my eyes focused on the doorway, everything was still and quiet again. The only light I saw was a ray of sunshine squeezing through my window's closed shades… It was morning.

Right on cue, my cell phone alarm began to beep annoyingly and my hand whipped out at once to seize it. I flipped it open and then flipped it closed again. Normally, I would have snoozed for another hour or so, but there was no way I could go back to sleep. Not with that train invading my conscience. So, I counted to three (and maybe a few more), took a deep breath (or two), and pushed myself up into a sitting position. That's when I noticed how utterly soaked my back was with sweat. The light t-shirt that once hung loosely on my body was now clinging annoyingly to my sticky skin. It really was infuriating.

I stripped the shirt off, getting angrier by the milliseconds, as I tried not to let it touch any other part of my body. My anger was set off like this sometimes; unexpectedly, unknowingly dangerous to my health, and quite often. Within a span of thirty seconds, however, I was back to my old self again, having no recollection of the steamed experience at all. It was a quirk of mine; a quirk that had no known origin, just like the brown stain behind my broken bird clock. Huh. Funny, but not worth an ounce of my memory, apparently.

It took me a minute to realize what time it was. Today was a Thursday. That meant I worked the second shift at the Concord Library. Why the hell would I set my alarm so early, if I was going into work at one o'clock in the afternoon? And, yes, that is when I looked at my phone and saw that it was…

_11:08_

Shit… I'd slept for nearly thirteen hours straight… and now I was already going back to work. Fortune was not on my side. In fact, I was almost certain that it was working against me.

Regardless, I set my bare feet on the carpeted floor and stood up. My head was swimming. It still wanted to be imbedded into the soft pillow on my bed. I felt the same, though I obviously had plenty of sleep. My arms stretched out before me to steady on the wall by my doorway. Once I collected myself and wiped the crust from my eyes, it was time for the morning ritual: a wine glass full of orange juice in the shower. It was seriously the only thing I ever had for breakfast and it always tasted better with the hot water rushing over my face. So, as I sipped my citrus liquids and sputtered away the streaming waters from my lips, I thought about the many things I could put in my aquarium. I'm sure it had something in there before. I just didn't remember… And, before I knew it, it was a half past 12 and time for me to go. I was _going_ to grab something for lunch, but as I opened the refrigerator, I realized there was nothing in there, except for some old Arby's Sauce packets.

My brow rose. I never ate Arby's much.

The air outside was colder than I expected it to be. It was April (the 2nd, to be exact), so it really shouldn't have been that cold… But it was. I wrapped myself in the throw blanket I had stored in the backseat of my car and hugged it close to my body, as I steered the wheel with one hand. It was an unusually long drive to the library that day. Surprisingly, the fifteen to twenty minutes it took to get there had not seemed that long before, but now it was almost like I'd never done it before. I took the same roads and turns I always did; through the city, out of the city, and wove my way along the twisting path sandwiched between a wide, fast-flowing stream and Concord Wood. I didn't pass any other side roads or driveways until about five minutes into the thick trees. That's when the path split in two. Continuing down the one that I was already on, I stared down the separate road made of gravel. It branched off and laced through the evergreens somewhere.

I always passed that driveway. Or, at least, I _thought_ it was a driveway. That's what it looked like to me, anyway. It didn't look as if anyone ever drove down it, though. _I'd_ never seen anyone. I made a mental note of maybe turning into it sometime and finding out who lived down there…

As I progressed to my destination, the library's bell tower came into view over the top of the trees. And I say bell tower, because that's what it was, a bell tower. The Concord Library used to be an old church, set up in the middle of Concord Wood. It was built back when they had witch burnings and that sort of thing. A lot of people in town say that _that's _why it's in the middle of no where; so that nobody could here their screams for miles. I thought it was bullshit.

As I pulled into my usual parking space, I glanced at my phone once more.

_1:03_

Close enough. I knew we didn't get many people out here for books, anyway. People usually only came for one reason and that was because the bell tower stairwell was supposed to be the most haunted place in all of Concord, Colorado. I was skeptical, only because I wanted to fool myself into thinking it was all in my head; that there were no such things as spirits, ghosts, monsters, or anything that resembled such. However, the Concord Library was not a very pleasant place to be at night, especially if you're the only one left, because it's your night to close. Well, tonight was one of those nights. I was signed for staying until 9pm and closing. Oh well. I new it would be fine. As long as I just stayed away from any of the dark corners of rooms, staircases, bookshelves, open doors into dim rooms, and pretty much the entire place except for the lovely lit front counter. I swear, it was the only part of the entire building that was bright enough to scare away most of your fears and doubts.

I opened my door and stepped out of the car, throwing the blanket in the backseat again. Tonight was going to be a difficult shift if the temperature kept dropping like it was…


	2. The Second

**Chapter TWʘ**

The page hardly made a sound as I flipped it to reveal the next set of text for my eyes to look over. I was on the third floor of the library, where no one ever went. Either they were too spooked to go, or nothing up there caught their interest. After all, that particular floor was reserved for old newspaper articles, records of the town, and rejected poetry (these were subjects the people of Concord didn't much care for). As it was, I was looking at the latter. There was nothing else for me to do while everyone else was at work on the lower levels. They wouldn't need me for another good five hours, when others started to go home to families and wives and husbands… That sort of thing.

"That sail, toward those isles of yours that wait for me," I finished up the sentence of a poem I was glancing over. Then I read on to the next section, whispering the words to myself.

"Well, now, if little by little you stop loving me, I shall stop loving you little by little. If suddenly you forget me, do not look for me, for I shall already have forgotten you…"

I knit my brow and looked at the cover of the little book.

"_If You Forget Me" by Pablo Neruda_

The book had only one page, in which the poem resided on. The cover was made of black leather and, actually, it looked as if someone had written the poem in there, themselves. Hm. Maybe they were just a fan…

"What you readin'?"

I jumped so hard that the little book landed on the marble floor with a _smack_. I instantly turned to see a man standing there, his elbow resting lazily on the book shelf beside us. He had an amused look on his face, probably after seeing me frightened so easily. I didn't say anything. I'd seen him before. I'd seen his matted hair and his yellow-tinted eyes. He had about a weeks worth of hair growing on his face. He stared at me. I felt a shiver run up my spine and, out of instinct, I turned as quickly as I could and headed down the staircase to the first floor. Luckily, I didn't hear his footsteps behind me. I told the head librarian about the incident as soon as I found her. This man wasn't supposed to be in the Concord Library at all.

"I'll have Matt shoo him out…" she said, not looking up from her desk.

I said nothing and left the room. On my way back up to the third floor a while later I saw Matt coming down the stairs. When he saw me, he shrugged and then came to a halt two steps above me.

"Nothing there," he said and walked passed me. "I checked, but he must've left already. You probably scared him off with your face. Way to go!" He said this last part with great enthusiasm and clapped me roughly on the back with the palm of his hand. Then he walked out of the stairwell and onto the second floor. I watched him leave, the expression on my face unreadable.

He was always like that; rude whenever he saw me. I ignored it, because it didn't bother me all that much. I turned and made my way back up to the third floor, brushing the hair off of my forehead. It was only four o'clock.

x-x-x

I spent most of the day organizing books in the back of the first floor. Sometimes someone would come by and ask me where to find something, but I just pretended I was deaf. I wasn't trying to be rude. I knew they could find help elsewhere. My job didn't require me to talk to the people of Concord and I liked it better that way. The antisocial that I was didn't allow me to be… well, _social._ It meant nothing, however. Everyone meant nothing, because I _felt_ nothing for them. It was that simple.

When the last couple of people left at the end of the day, I was suddenly the only one around. Janice (the head librarian) was just pulling out of the parking lot in her nice, sleek, silver car and Matt was in front of her on his charcoal motorcycle. He looked behind him and waved. I saw Jan's slender hand wave out the window back at him. He scarcely ever wore a helmet, so I could see his messy chocolate hair wave behind him as he sped away. Janice left, as well. I suspected they were sleeping together, but I couldn't be sure.

Now things were quiet in the Concord Library and I turned away from the front door to head back into the main room. Counters lined with bookcases and files behind them faced me. The ceiling arched high overhead and every time I stepped with my black pumps, the room made a loud _clack_ sound and echoed in every direction. It was almost unreal. Time felt frozen there in that library. It was already eight o'clock, but I had to lock all of the doors, including the ones that led to the staircases.

I locked each door as I wandered through the library, jumping at small noises I heard and then pushing my thoughts back to the task at hand. I was just getting to the fourth door when something caught my eye. I looked to my right, just beyond the last book case and saw the third floor stairwell door standing ajar.

_Shit…_

I stopped in mid step and turned on my heel. That was usually the first door I locked and I couldn't believe I'd forgotten it. As I gradually reduced the distance between me and the door, I felt something building under my skin. It was a crawling feeling; almost like I knew something was going to happen, but wasn't aware of it yet. When I was but a foot from the door, I saw a flash of white and then heard a clatter on the stairs. My entire body froze.

_Oh my god…_

Someone else was in the building. But everyone left. There couldn't be anyone else in the building. Birds? Bats, maybe… Then I began to relax. There were all sorts of animals that seemed to get into the library. Since it was previously a church, birds and bats especially liked to nest and sleep in the rafters of the staircases. I sighed slowly and shook my head, a slight smirk playing across my mouth. Man, was I ever glad for sneaky creatures of the night these days… Hopefully nothing would fly into my face in the process of trying to get the door locked, though. I snorted at the thought and then stepped into the doorway.

Looking around briefly, I saw nothing. I sighed again and put my hand on the doorknob… But, then I froze again. My eyes trailed over the stairwell landing, coming to rest on something small and black. It must've been what had made the noise. Hesitantly, I stepped closer and picked the object up. I turned it over.

"_If You Forget Me" by Pablo Neruda_

I dropped it as if it'd burned my fingers. How the hell did that fall from the top of the stairs..?

It was like a horror flick. You know, that moment when the scary music starts and you look up to see a terrifying monster three feet in front of you? Well, that's what the moment felt like. My heart was thumping so loudly in my chest, that I thought whatever was going to get me would have no trouble at all in deciphering where I was. I think my palms were a bit sweaty, as well, when I finally (bravely?) looked up at the top of the staircase. But I didn't see a monster. I saw… nothing. There was nothing there.

I let out the hot breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I was safe. At least, that's what I _thought_. Just as I was turning to leave again, I heard a scuffle of feet (yes, _feet_) behind me. I whipped around, just in time to see someone run up the stairs past me to the third floor. I didn't see what they looked like. I only heard the _whoosh _of their clothes and glimpsed the back side of them as they raced away from me.

_Hell no. Not tonight._

I cursed aloud to myself and ran after them. Now, you're probably thinking, "No! You _never_ run after them!" But you have to understand that I was acting on will. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do, but someone was in the library that was obviously NOT supposed to be there, and it was up to _me_ to fix that. What was I going to do, call the police? Ha! They wouldn't be there for _at least_ another half an hour. I'd be dead by then. I might as well go out with a bang. Or at least with my hands wrapped around someone else's throat. Others who look at me probably don't see me doing something like that, but my job could have been in risk. What if they trashed the whole place and I was blamed for it? So, yeah, I ran after the son of a bitch.

This person was quick. I had to skip a step with each stride, all the way up to the third floor, to try and keep up. As soon as I was up there, I pulled out my flashlight (oh yes) and instantly shined it all around me.

Everything was silent again. I didn't move. Then I began to wonder if I'd imagined the entire thing. After all, the way I'd woken up that morning, with the train blaring its whistle right into my bedroom, I'd say I wasn't all that sane at the moment. Someone watching me would probably declare I was a nut. Suddenly I was struck with something from behind, sending me sprawling across the floor.

It took me a minute to realize where I was. Stars were sparkling across my vision, so I had to wait for a minute until my head was clear again. Then I looked around. There was nothing there.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I said angrily and stood up. I ignored the throbbing in the back of my head and pressed on. I hadn't even started searching again, when I saw someone whip around a book shelf and out another door. I started to run after them when my feet screeched to a halt. I looked more closely at where they'd gone and then sighed the deepest of sighs. It was the door to the bell tower staircase. Why… _Why_ did it have to be through _there_ that they chose to run?

I knew every minute I wasted could be crucial… But, I _really_ didn't want to go up there. I never had before and I didn't want the reason to be because I was chasing a potential murderer up the stairs. Thus, I started out slow, walking to the door and then peering inside. It was so dark…

I almost turned around instantly upon seeing those winding wooden stairs, but I didn't. I knew I had a job to do. Well, not a job exactly. But it was definitely something I _had_ to do… I think.

I ventured on and entered the stairwell. There was a surprisingly cool draft in there. It blew my plain brown hair around my face. For a minute, it was alright, but then it was just annoying. I ignored this slight complication, however, and started up the stairs. Each step creaked as I placed a foot on it. I tried thinking of a tune to hum as I went, but my mind was strangely blank. The only thing on it was getting to the top of the tower, which, by the way, I was _not_ looking forward to. There could be a number of things up there. Raccoons and possums were my biggest concern. Those things could bite your fingers clean off with razor blade teeth. My spine shivered for the second time that evening.

As I reached the top of the stairs, it opened up into an attic like room. In front of me was a large window that went from the floor to the ceiling. I could see the stars starting to become visible as the night progressed.

It wasn't hard to find the large bell that never rang anymore. It was right behind me when I turned around. Along with the bell, I found what I'd been chasing. He stood with his elbow resting lazily on the side of the bell, looking at me with a wicked grin. I felt my heart stop.

"You…" I whispered, my voice sounding strangely distant to me. It was the same man from before; the one that wasn't supposed to be in the library _at all_; the one that Matt was _specifically _sent to get rid of… I thought he'd left.

"Hey there, darlin'" he said in a sickeningly sweet voice, displaying his yellowed teeth. He took a step toward me. "You've got quite a pair o' legs on yeh."

"Don't come near me," I said instantly and then I held my flashlight toward him. At that time, it wasn't on and a flashlight probably couldn't do much damage, anyway, so _that _made me panic a bit. Still, he loomed closer. I backed up into the window and looked around for something better to possibly throw at him; more specifically at his _head._ Maybe I could knock him out and then call the police…

I didn't have time to think of what to do. He was almost on top of me by then. Out of desperation, I clicked the flashlight on and shined it in his face. It all happened very quickly after that.

His hand came out to try and push the flashlight out of my hands, but he used too much force and pushed me out of the window. Through the glass and everything, I went flying out the window, nearly six stories above the ground. The last thing I saw was the man's startled face, before I blacked out, destined to be crushed by gravity.

"Catch her!!"

x-x-x

**A/n:** Mmm…. Suspense. Find out in the next chapter if she died and whatnot… Haha. Just playing. See you soon!


	3. The Third

**A/n:** I know the last couple of chapters didn't have what you wanted (the Beast!), so you'll have that in _this_ chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter THREE**

Needles from the evergreens fluttered to the soft ground, landing silently and gracefully. With each brush against the trees, not a sound was made. Perhaps it was the wind that drowned out all other noise, but, never the less, there were three other beings in the woods that night. They were walking, three different characters from a house deep in the forest; one of them very large and the other two extremely smaller in size. The two addressed the other in a very formal fashion, though the larger one acted as if he could care less about their hospitality. He had other things on his mind… That was the whole reason he'd drug the other two out there just after nightfall.

"Really, Master, I must protest against this entire thing right now!" One of the smaller was saying. He had the voice of an Englishman, but the body of a miniature grandfather clock.

"Shut up, Cogsworth!" The other smaller one whispered fiercely at the walking clock. "Can't you see that thee Master is _on_ to something?" This one had the voice of a Frenchman, but the body of a three-pronged candlestick.

"Lumiere," Cogsworth whispered, crossing his wooden arms as they continued to walk behind their superior. "He's really gone off the deep end this time. Taking us away from our duties on a hunch! What does he think he's going to find out here, hmm?"

"Both of you _shut up!_" He snapped. Lumiere and Cogsworth both froze and stared ahead at their superior.

He really was much larger than them. His entire body was covered with a thick golden brown fur. He had hind legs like a wolf and paws like a bear. He hunched like a grizzly and had the facial features kind of like a lion. Curling horns came out of the sides of his head and fang-like teeth resided in his mouth; each tooth being an astounding three inches long. He was a frightening sight, even to his own servants sometimes, since he had a bit of an anger problem. He didn't even really have a known name. He was simply known as "Beast". The only remotely human thing about him, perhaps, was his shining blue eyes. They were like beautiful jewels in a sea of terrifying appearances. But they were now glaring down at his two companions in clear agitation.

"You will not doubt me… _ever!_ Understand?!" he yelled.

"Y-Yes, Master!" Cogsworth sputtered out, nervously.

Beast turned back around and stormed away from them, continuing at a brisk pace into the unknown.

"Now you've done it, you stupid pocket watch," Lumiere whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"Shut up…" the clock replied, glowering slightly and followed after his master.

They trudged on in silence. The only light came from Lumiere's candlestick arms and head, where small flames spouted and led the way. Beast didn't turn around again. He looked straight ahead, determine, but confusion as well, etched in every line of his furry face. He'd gotten a bad feeling earlier in the day. He'd tried to ignore it, but it had all but consumed him by evening. There was something he needed to do. He just couldn't believe he was actually venturing outside of his home and into the Concord Wood. The last thing he wanted was for someone to see him and send a mob party to try and burn down his mansion. Regardless, he kept walking, while the sky darkened with each heavy step. Soon the stars would be coming out…

x-x-x

"We shouldn't be out here… Someone could see us!"

"For the last time, SHUT UP, COGSWORTH!" Beast roared. Then he turned and looked up at the building that they were now standing next to. They'd finally come out of a clearing in the woods and found it standing alone in the sea of trees. It didn't look as if anyone was occupying it at the moment and Beast was debating on whether or not to explore it further. But then he heard Lumiere gasp.

"Sir!" the candlestick said, and pointed to the tower of the building, where they saw a flash of light, illuminating the silhouette of a girl.

"What's going on up there?" Cogsworth questioned, peering at the strange scene. No one was prepared for what happened next, however.

There was a shatter of glass and a body began to fall fast toward the ground.

"Oh my, she'll be killed!" Lumiere exclaimed, but Beast was frozen in place, watching the young girl come closer and closer toward the hard ground. Time seemed to stop and within seconds she was surely going to become gravity's latest victim.

"Master!" Cogsworth yelled. "You have to catch her! Catch her!!"

Beast didn't think. He just acted.

x-x-x

I thought I was dead.

I honestly thought that light I saw through my lidded eyes was the stairway to heaven. I was just preparing my speech to God when I heard a voice. I'll admit, when I heard the soft cooing of a motherly figure, I began to doubt everything I'd heard about God. Since when did he have such a fem voice? I mustered the bit of will power I had left in me and slowly opened my eyes.

Instantly I saw where the light was coming from. It was a fireplace. And I was lying on a bed, I could tell that right away, as well. And what a soft and comfortable bed it was… As soon as my eyes were focused enough, I looked around at my surroundings more carefully. The room I was in was huge, with tall ceilings, long drapes on the windows, and a canopy bed. It was the middle of the night, I assumed, because the world outside the window pane looked inky black. Then I remembered that there was someone else in the room. I peered around, but it was very dark and my vision was still a bit blurry. I tried to sit up, but I heard that same soft voice again.

"Oh, don't do that, deary…" I heard her say. "You'll hurt yourself more than you already are."

"What—" I began to say, but I suddenly felt the pain come all at once. It was horrible. My ribs and chest felt bruised all the way to my insides. Then I noticed the bandaging on my head and torso.

"You've got some nasty cuts on your back and scalp," she said, sighing. "They're pretty deep. You'll be on bed rest for quite some time."

"But, where am I?" I asked instantly. "And how did I get here? Who brought me here?"

"Ah-ah-ah…" she clucked, softly. "We'll explain all of that in the morning. For right now, you're safe and I'll stay and look after you, alright?"

"But—" I tried once more.

"Sh-shhh…" she hushed. "You may call me Mrs. Potts. I'm like the nanny here. I actually like to think of myself as the person who keeps this old place in order!" She finished this sentence with a small chuckle.

I smiled and settled back into the covers. I guess explanations could wait until the morning…

"Thank you…" I whispered and then drifted off again.

"It isn't _me_ you should be thanking…" I heard her say in my sleep, but I wouldn't remember it by morning.

x-x-x

Beast paced the floors of the entire castle, wandering aimlessly from room to room. He mumbled to himself every once in a while and his servants watched in worry. The girl had been out cold for several hours and it was too soon to tell if she had any internal bleeding. Beast, of course, knew nothing about medical dilemmas. He let the others deal with things like that… But the girl. She'd fallen out of window, six stories up. He barely managed to catch her in time and now… He shuddered to think of the damage he had caused to her ribs from catching her. He had to jump at an angle and the force from the impact had broken something. He heard them crack; her bones.

"URRGGHHH… WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE DOING UP THERE, ANYWAY?!!"

Then he stormed off to another part of the castle and his servants watched in wonder.

"See?" Cogsworth said with a sneer. "He _has_ gone off the deep end. What is it with this girl that's got him so torn up??"

"Oh, but don't you see it?" A lovely white teapot spoke up next to him. "The girl was almost killed right before his eyes. What would have happened had he _not_ been there to save her..?"

Cogsworth looked down and sighed. "You are quite right, Mrs. Potts…" he said, his face growing melancholy. "Quite right, indeed…"

Meanwhile, Beast was in the hallway outside of the girl's room. He stopped pacing and listened at the door. Having ears like a wolf, he could hear her breathing and that eased his mind some, but not enough. The catch in her breath made him worry. What if he'd punctured her lungs? What if she was dead by tomorrow afternoon? He put a paw to his forehead and sighed deeply. What the hell was he going to do now…? He should never have left the house that night… Then this wouldn't have happened and, most importantly, everything would be back to normal and—

Beast peered through the crack of the door to gaze upon her sleeping form. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head.

_No,_ he thought. _If I had not been there tonight… she'd be dead._

Beast slid a large paw between the crack of the door and gently pushed it open. Then he stepped quietly to the side of the bed and looked down at the girl. She had bandages everywhere on her. He felt a pang of guilt, thinking that he was the cause of most of her injuries… He reached out to touch her, maybe to feel if she really was breathing right, but he heard a voice and stopped.

"Sir, you really should let her rest…"

Beast turned around and saw a Lumiere standing there, at the foot of the door.

"I _know_ that!" he whispered in anger. "Hmph!" Then he turned around sharply, whipping his cloak around him and stomped out of the room.

Once he was alone in his own room, he sat on his bed and laid his paws in his lap. It didn't take long for his guilt to completely consume him. Then he lay back, sighing, and fell into a restless sleep, hoping that things would be better in the morning.

x-x-x

I dreamt of falling that night; falling over and over and over again. It was like a horrible nightmare. Actually, I think that's what it was, a nightmare. I kept seeing those yellowy teeth and eyes staring out at me, as I fell out of the window. Then I would be in a panic, feeling as though my life was about to end by force of impact. Just when I thought the ground was about to come in contact with me, I was hit by something hard, but soft. I felt it knock the wind out of me and I tried to suck in a breath, but it was too difficult. It just came in great rasps. And my chest hurt so bad that it felt as if it was being crushed and burned at the same time. The air around me was tightening. I couldn't take a breath at all. I was suffocating. I was really going to die… And I'd finally reach the ground, landing on the same hard, soft thing that hit me.

Then the dream would start all over again. It happened seventeen times before I finally woke up from my miserable night.


End file.
